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The Crowned Clown
The characters, organizations, locations, and events in this drama are fictional and have no relation to historical facts.
Episode 12
Can you not live for my sake?
After I entered the palace,
I almost died on several occasions.
Every time I thought I would really die,
I desperately wanted to survive.
Even if I could only live one more day, I wanted to live with you.
Next to you, while listening to the sound of your laughter,
together like that...
Together like that,
for a very long time.
Please live.
For me, please.
Your Majesty?
Your Majesty!
Move out!
Please wake up, Your Majesty!
Taepyeonggwan ( Hall of Great Peace)
Vice Minister of War.
Please stop for a moment.
I will apologize for his rude behavior.
Please forgive Chief Royal Secretary's crimes.
He's the one who needs to beg for his crimes.
Why are you the one asking for forgiveness?
What are you doing? Ask for forgiveness, quickly.
I cannot.
What?
I came here as the king's subject and
not for personal business like my lord, who doesn't even have a title.
I can't do something that will soil His Majesty's name and this country to save my neck.
Aren't you afraid of death?
How can you be this brazen?
If my death can preserve the peace between Joseon and Ming Dynasty, then what would I fear?
Your emperor probably doesn't want his relationship with Joseon to go sour either.
Isn't that right?
They say the tongue is better than the sword.
I see that there are vassals like you among the Joseon subjects.
What praise.
There are countless people better than me in Joseon.
I'll come to the palace tomorrow.
Instead, as an envoy escort,
I will take him with me.
I understand. Please do so.
Taepyeonggwan ( Hall of Great Peace)
I was wondering why he forwent etiquette and arrived a day earlier.
It was your doing.
Don't make His Majesty's failure and your mistake my fault.
There's a crisis approaching this country.
I'm only showing my loyalty as Joseon's subject in front of it.
Is acting like a minion to the Ming envoy something that a Joseon subject would do?
You should go and send a messenger to His Majesty.
If he's not in the palace tomorrow,
the problem will grow so big it will get out of hand.
Hurry along now.
Were you not hurt?
I'm uneasy.
Since you're not talking,
perhaps I am dreaming?
I was very scared.
Because I thought I would lose you,
everything in front of me was dark
and my heart fell down a bottomless pit.
To be scared of something more than death itself,
I realized what it was like.
Then, have you given up on dying?
The guilt of not knowing I committed a sin when I did,
I thought that I had to pay for it with my death.
However, now,
even if the whole world points fingers at me, curses me, or throws stones at me,
I will endure it.
I will live. Next to you, Your Majesty.
You have saved two lives.
If you had not given up on dying,
I would have followed you and died.
Please lie down now.
I'm worried that your wound will get infected.
Close your eyes and get some sleep.
I don't think I can fall asleep
because it seems like you will disappear.
Don't worry.
I will not go anywhere.
I will stay by your side.
Please promise me.
Yes, I promise you.
An attack?
Where is His Majesty right now?
Officer Jang escorted him to a physician nearby.
Did you catch the criminals who attacked His Majesty?
We pursued them but lost them.
Is His Majesty seriously injured?
He was still unconscious when I left him.
I understand. Return and protect him.
Don't you need to go yourself and bring him back?
Early tomorrow morning, the Ming envoy will arrive.
I will need to protect the palace until Ha Seon returns.
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What is this, Chief Royal Secretary?
You said that the king would be here if I came today.
This is different from what you promised.
Joseon has been called the country of courteous people in the east.
Does the king of Joseon not know his manners?!
Your Korean is very fluent, Ambassador.
When did you learn to speak Korean?
To become an ambassador of the emperor,
you have to be at least this good.
You should have been aware that I was coming.
Why did you leave the palace?
Disrespect to the emperor's envoy
is the same as looking down on the emperor. You should know that.
You could think of it that way, ambassador.
You there! Bring it in.
This is the skin of a tiger, is it not?
I went to catch a beast as a welcoming present for you.
I was late because I caught a tiger.
It's the best I've hunted recently, so please offer it to the emperor.
But...
the tail?
You saw?
I only found out he had no tail after I caught him.
Isn't it surprising? A tiger missing a tail.
It's a precious item that's difficult to find.
Please report this as such to the emperor.
Yes.
The emperor heard that you disposed of a loyal subject like Sin Chi Soo.
He was quite surprised.
As there is filial piety between the superior nation (Ming) and the uncivilized nation (Joseon),
there is also loyalty that needs to be kept between those who act loyally.
It is right to bring him back to the court.
Those are his words for you.
That is right.
I heard that he welcomed you in my absence.
I will give him a government post again.
This immense grace from His Majesty the Emperor and Your Majesty the King,
I shall not forget it.
You did well.
Were you hit by the arrow here?
I thought you weren't going to make it.
Didn't I promise to return?
If Eunuch Jo hadn't let me know in advance,
when the ambassador told me to bring Sin Chi Soo back into court,
I wouldn't have held back my anger and would've caused chaos.
It was good you held back.
Since the ambassador arrived a day early,
it's very likely that everything, including bringing in Sin Chi Soo,
were all part of Sin Chi Soo's scheme to come back into the court.
To even use the Ming envoy...
it becomes harder and harder to forgive Sin Chi Soo.
Did you find Ha Seon and the queen's attackers?
I apologize.
We chased them but failed to catch them in the end.
To go after them...
Who exactly are these impertinent men?
I don't know who executed the plan,
but I might have an idea who the mastermind is.
Who is that?
The only person who knew you left the palace.
It's the person who came into the grand palace
demanding the royal seal and military badge.
You can't mean... the queen dowager?
How could you not even do something so simple?!
"The king would have followed the queen to his father-in-law's exile house."
"So chase after him and stab him to death."
I told you where and even how to do it.
So answer me! Can I really trust you
and continue to work with you?
Is there any other way?
Besides me, who else would take up your will to protect this nation and its traditions?
If you had put your words into actions,
you would've already been seated on the throne and then some!
Queen Dowager, Prince Yeong Hwa is here.
Let him in.
You may leave.
Welcome, Prince Yeong Hwa.
I was happy when you said you would be returning to the palace because I thought you meant your palace.
Why are you staying in this ruined Youngchun Pagoda? People say there are ghosts here.
I will finish the tea rites and return to my palace.
So just bear it for three days.
Who are the rites for?
Someone you don't know.
Your Highness...
Over there...
Your Highness, for your grace in returning safely,
I don't know how I can repay you.
Grace is not the correct word.
I ran away to avoid my sins,
but I only returned to face them in their entirety.
Now the duty that's left for me
is solely to protect him.
If it is to protect him,
I will do whatever it takes.
I've heard something similar before.
Upon returning after a near-death experience, the one who is in the grand palace said the same thing to me.
That he wanted to have power in order to protect what's precious.
I will swear as well.
I will protect you, His Majesty, and this nation with my life on the line.
I will never forget your grace, and I will repay it until my death.
The only reason I put you back in the court
was to get the 10,000 Joseon soldiers for the emperor.
Don't forget that.
Of course. Please do not worry.
Now.
You should still be resting.
Why did you come all the way here?
For me to be the only one lying in a warm chamber, I came because of an apologetic and worried mind.
Please give me your hand.
Do you remember?
If you bite on the hazelnut and make a wish,
the goblin that protects your home will appear and make that dream come true.
When you're bored, bite them one by one, and make a wish.
Who knows, maybe a goblin lives here.
How much longer will you be formal with me?
What?
Since we have returned, please speak informally like you used to.
It is more comfortable to me and safer for you.
How could I dare...
Then I will do as you wish.
When are you going to return to your palace?
Please give me three days.
Three days?
I understand.
So Woon.
My name is Yoo So Woon.
So Woon.
Yoo So Woon.
It is a beautiful name.
Please tell me yours.
I'm Ha Seon.
Ha Seon?
It is a warm name.
The Ming are demanding an army? What do you mean?
Over the last few years, Ming and Later Jin's relationship has been worsening.
It will be difficult for the Ming to defeat Later Jin with just their army.
So they will be telling us to send our military as well.
And if we say no?
Before they engage in a war with Later Jin, they will probably attack us first.
But if we give our troops to the Ming, Later Jin won't just sit idly either.
They are already infiltrating our borders to threaten us.
So in the end, we will see blood no matter which side we take.
There may be another war on this land again.
It's fine if they want to fight with each other but why pull us in?
Is there no way to avoid a war?
Have you ever walked on a tightrope before?
Since I'm a clown, of course I've done it.
But what about the tightrope?
From now on, you and I are about to walk on a tightrope.
Are you ready?
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Congratulations on becoming a level-one minister.
You've gone through a lot.
Thank you. This is all thanks to His Majesty's grace.
In the end, he's even brought his son, Sin Yi Gyeom?
You would think he's been reinstated as left state minister.
There's nothing we can do.
His Majesty can't ignore the Ming emperor's request.
Your Majesty, the barbarians have abandoned their allegiance to the superior nation (Ming) and have launched a full-scale offense.
So to fulfill our duty as the subjugation nation,
we must not think it's a waste if we give them not 10, but 20 or 30,000 soldiers.
Your Majesty, it is proper to decide on giving military support after careful discussion in the court.
Chief Royal Secretary is right.
The superior nation's matters are urgent but we were struck with a drought and a cold wave this year,
and so it is difficult to gather enough grain for the army.
We should ask the superior nation for their understanding.
What ill-fitting words!
Your Majesty, during the last rebellion, the Ming gave us an army.
The rebellion was suppressed. You cannot forget that.
If we show any sign of reluctance,
we will be deemed as defying our duty to them as their subjugated nation.
May you, may you, please understand.
May you understand.
I cannot do so.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, why are you trying to be a son who knows no grace?
If our nation and Ming nation are son and father,
then I am the father of my people.
As their father, knowing full well they will die,
how can I send my children into the flames?
Even if I become a criminal to the Ming emperor, I cannot become a criminal to my people.
Those are horrendous words that cut away our duty and loyalty.
How will you handle the opposition from the nobles and Confucian scholars?
How can you spew such unfavorable and heartless words so lightly?
Are you so tormented that you cannot offer your full allegiance to the Ming?
Then I shall approve for you to personally march off to war with the nobles and the scholars!
How are you all standing quietly?
I said I will approve, so are you going or not?
Your Majesty, you are saying such unreasonable words. We only—
Shut up!
Which country do you belong to, ministers?
You value your own bloodline,
but you don't know how to cherish the people!
Shame on you!
Your Majesty. Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
How can you dare to defy the superior nation's order? You cannot.
Your Majesty, how will you handle the emperor's reproach?
May you please reconsider.
May you reconsider.
Taepyeonggwan (Hall of Great Peace)
What are you dawdling about? Hurry up!
Yes, sir.
I came to give my greetings, Ambassador.
I don't think you're here to beg me to kill you.
What brings you here then?
I came to deliver His Majesty's orders.
If it's nonsense, I will slay you and take your head to the emperor.
First, please hear His Majesty's message before you slay me.
Unlike the Ming Nation, Joseon does not train soldiers and farmers separately.
If we are to send soldiers to you, we would have to draft them into the army and train them.
And there is not enough time for that.
Moreover, due to drought and the cold wave this year, we were not able to collect many taxes.
Hence, that is why His Majesty cannot send soldiers.
If you will give us time, we will draft soldiers and train them.
His Majesty also thinks we will be able to secure grain for the military.
What would you like to do?
How much time do you need?
We will need at least two years.
One year.
I will grant you one year.
Alright. I will inform His Majesty.
What is this?
It's a secret letter to be sent to Later Jin's emperor.
We will not give the Ming an army. And even if a war breaks out,
we will not attack Later Jin. That's what's written.
If we send this secret letter, we can stop the Later Jin from attacking for the meantime.
If you, Ha Seon, feel the same way I do,
please stamp this with the royal seal.
I don't know if I am really allowed to stamp it.
If not you, then who else can wield the royal seal?
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Official imperial letter with a personal message from faux King Yi Heon to Nurhaci, the Jurchen Chieftain of Later Jin: To notify...
Emperor that Joseon is forced by the Ming to deploy 10,000 soldiers against Later Jin, but he will block and delay it. (Historically, this is known as The Liaodong Campaign)
It's His Majesty's secret letter. I put my trust in you.
Please leave it to me.
Why did you ask me to come here? What if somebody sees?
I invited you here because there's someone who wishes to meet you quietly.
What is this about?
This is something Prince Jin Pyeong prepared for you.
I heard that your heart to serve the Ming is different from the others. You were right.
I am nothing compared to His Majesty.
Chief Royal Secretary asked for a year.
I was very upset.
After seeing you two, I now feel at ease.
Please tell the emperor
that there is a great subject in Joseon, who will serve the Ming properly.
Do not worry.
Instead, within half a year, you will have to give us 20,000 soldiers.
If I can ascend to the throne,
there is nothing that I cannot give you.
Sujeong Palace
Your Majesty.
Queen Dowager, we have come to give our greetings since the queen has returned to the palace.
Queen Dowager, have you been well?
Do you not have shame, Your Highness?
If you left the palace like that, it is only right for you to kill yourself to rid yourself of your shame.
But you return to the palace like some cat burglar?
Please do not insult the queen. I gave her permission for everything.
Isn't that the problem?
Because you are soft, she dares to humiliate the position of mother of the palace.
That's why I cannot ignore the queen's actions anymore.
Queen, if you have shame as a person,
before the court takes your title away and orders you to take poison,
you should step down on your own.
I apologize, but I cannot.
What?
In the end, you're going to live shamefully and cause trouble to His Majesty and the royal family?
All this time, I didn't doubt your loyalty in the least but looking at it now, all of it
appears to be a wicked plan to save your traitor of a father and to preserve your position.
Please stop.
If you continue bothering the queen like this, I will not stand for it.
And what will you do?
Are you planning to chase me out again?
I know very well that you do not think of me as a mother and that you are not afraid of lacking filial piety.
If you want to chase me out of the palace, try as you please.
Let's see who'll be ruined, me or Your Majesty.
Even if you ordering Chief Royal Secretary to bring you the royal seal and military badge in my absence,
becomes known to the court and to the people?
About that... You were away from the palace so I was forced to make such a command.
You probably want to make such an excuse.
However, if they find out that I was attacked by an assassin while outside the palace,
who will believe you?
Do not insult the queen further.
If you do so again, even if you are the queen dowager,
I will not forgive you.
Then, I'll take it that you allowed the queen to return to her palace, and we will leave now.
Your Highness.
Letter from an observer to Haksun, the pen name of Chief Royal Secretary, to notify him of the success of the new tax code.
To think that the enforcement of the Dae Dong policy is approaching so quickly,
you did amazing work.
Thank you for your recognition.
Although Chief Royal Secretary may not agree,
I think I did amazingly as well.
I can do so much more, so please look forward to it.
Alright. You may leave now.
Already?!
If there is anything else you're curious about, you are welcome to ask anytime.
Didn't he tell you to leave?
I just want to explain a bit...
Your Majesty... Your Majesty...
Your Majesty...
Before we enforce the Dae Dong policy, it would be nice to know what the people think of it
since it has failed before.
Then, would you like to go on a royal tour?
A royal tour?
You can go out to the streets and listen to the people's opinions regarding the enforcement of the Dae Dong policy.
If you comfort the people's negative feelings,
it will help you as well. Do you want to try?
Yes, let's do it.
Where are Dal Rae and Gap Soo?
You want to see them.
Although I truly want to see them,
I probably cannot see them anymore.
Did you think that?
For the people who follow and the things I have to handle on the throne,
for Dal Rae and Gap Soo,
the precious connections I have protected until now,
I realized that the time will come for me to cut them away.
That way, Dal Rae will also be safe.
Please send Dal Rae and Gap Soo to a safe place as fast as possible.
That way, it will be easier for me to cut them away.
I understand. I will do that.
Please send this to my sister Dal Rae.
Okay. I will make sure to send it.
Again... eight... three... thirty-six...
My Lord.
My Lord. My Lord!
So I am a lord, right?
How can I be of service, Officer Jang?
Chief Royal Secretary wanted me to tell you.
He said he will come to take the people staying at your house tomorrow, so you should prepare them.
Tomorrow night?
So quickly?
I thought I told you I would not be eating late night snacks for the time being.
These are dried persimmons that were a gift from San Cheong County.
I just couldn't give these up...
These taste that good?
- Eunuch Jo. - Yes.
Send all of them to the queen's palace.
Such deliciousness needs to be shared.
What?
Alright.
And this is yours.
What?
Your Majesty.
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Your Highness, the king has sent a late night snack.
Dried persimmons.
And...
this letter was sent along with it.
I plan to leave the palace to see the people.
Will you come with me?
Let's eat breakfast.
I specially cooked mackerel today.
I see you were packing.
But I thought you guys came empty-handed when you came to my house.
How did you get so much stuff?
What? We don't have anything like that.
Got a lot...
Isn't that my shirt?
It's not.
What is this?
No!
Isn't... this a poster?
No... that...
This...
You should have told me.
I guess you guys like the king as much as I do.
What are you talking about?
The face on this poster is really the king's face?
You mean you didn't know that and kept the poster?
Ah, right! I heard the king is making a visit out of the palace to see the people.
I wonder where he's going.
The people personally get to see this handsome face. What an honor!
The world has changed a lot, don't you think?
Then, I'll be home from work before you leave, so wait for me.
I'll prepare a big dinner for you since it's the last.
Then have a safe trip.
Ahjae.
Still, we can't leave here.
He said that the king and my brother have the same face.
We need to leave the capital tonight.
- But I must see him with my own eyes before we leave.- What?
If you are afraid, you stay home.
Dal Rae! Dal Rae!
My Lord, so Ha Seon is not coming to see Dal Rae?
That's what happened.
Please tell Dal Rae for him.
Dal Rae will be very disappointed.
Okay, I'll do that.
Injeong Gate
Your Majesty, where would you like to go?
Somewhere they will never expect a king to show up.
Stop.
Your Majesty is here!
They say the king is coming!
Where?
There he is.
Your Majesty.
Stand up.
Your Majesty.
Stand up.
The king is so handsome!
Stand. Stand up.
Everyone, stand up.
A rice soup for me too, Auntie, please.
Yes, of course.
How are your lives?
With your grace, we are well fed and living fine.
Yes.
Tell me the truth.
That way, I can do something to help you.
Are you afraid that if you say something wrong, you will be dragged off and face punishment?
Do not worry, and speak freely.
Yes, then there is one thing.
Please tell me.
That is... it's so hard just being able to feed ourselves.
So we cultivated the abandoned rocky fields.
But the nearby noblemen swarmed in like the bees
and stole it saying that it was originally their land.
Please let me own the abandoned land I cultivated myself.
Those lowly bastards!
Okay, I will permit you.
Your grace is limitless!
I am about to enact something called the Dae Dong policy which collects taxes from landowners.
Do you still want to own the land?
Yes. If you are taxed based on how much you own, what could be the problem?
Collecting taxes when we have nothing is the problem!
That's right, you speak the truth!
Your Majesty, I borrowed rice during the famine.
But I was told to pay a 70% interest rate for it.
Seventy—
My master stole my wife!
Please resolve my wretched situation.
Your Majesty! Please listen to my story, too!
Your Majesty, me too!
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty! Hear me out, too!
Your Majesty!
Don't worry.
I will listen to each and every one of you.
Please line up.
Right here! Line up right here!
Please don't push!
How dare he? Is he insane?
Why is it so noisy?
Over here!
It's over here!
Everyone...
What is His Majesty doing here?
Let us go.
Ahjae, I think it's over there.
You can not go over there.
You are so stubborn.
What's wrong?
Did you see a ghost? Why—
Dal Rae.
Is that bastard, that bastard?
Excuse me. She can stay here for a bit, right?
Yes, go ahead.
I will be right back. Stay here.
Sorry. I'll come next time.
Where did she go?
She was right here.
So that clown's sister Dal Rae was really holding this?
Yes, it's true.
It looks like I'll be able to reveal Chief Royal Secretary's treasonous intent.
That child Dal Rae must be quite startled. Keep her pacified.
Yes. I shall do so.
What about Yi Gyeom? Is he gravely injured?
No, he was just very startled and his arm is a bit injured.
That will do then.
I'll go see Minister of Justice right away so prepare.
Yes, Your Excellency.
Your Majesty.
I apologize, but I have something urgent to report.
What is it?
In the capital, an incident that broke moral codes occurred.
I am requesting an interrogation by the three ministries. May you approve.
Interrogation by the three ministries?
You need to report the details of the matter in order to get approval.
This morning during Your Majesty's royal tour,
first-level Minister Sin Chi Soo's son, Sin Yi Gyeom, was attacked on the streets.
Sin Yi Gyeom was? Just how did that happen?
That's... a lowly clown by the name of Gap Soo.
He attacked him out of the blue.
I must meet Gap Soo.
You cannot.
Sin Chi Soo was looking for you recently.
So it's most likely a trap he set up.
That's why I must go. Since Dal Rae and Gap Soo are in danger.
Control yourself. If you go, they might be in more danger.
Then what am I supposed to do?
Trust me and wait. I will go find out and return.
That's what I'm saying! A man called Gap Soo and a child named Dal Rae were arrested and brought here!
I already told you many times they are not here.
Hyungnim, are you also here upon hearing news of Dal Rae and Gap Soo?
At any rate, it's good that you're here. Ask this detainment officer.
Ask him where Dal Rae is.
Do you know them, My Lord?
You should've said that sooner then.
I came to meet the offender of the moral code, by His Majesty's order.
Was it only the one called Gap Soo who was arrested? Was there no girl by the name of Dal Rae?
Yes, it was just him from the beginning.
There was no girl named Dal Rae.
I understand. I'll summon you later so go see to your work now.
Hyungnim, he's lying.
Dal Rae is probably arrested here as well.
How are you so sure?
Dal Rae, that child...
She was holding a dagger with a dragon pattern that only the king can have.
A lowly artisan was holding such a precious royal item.
So I thought she would be imprisoned by the authorities and ran here.
Hyungnim, what exactly is that dagger for you to be like this?
That's a royal item
that His Majesty received from the late king when he became the crown prince during the last rebellion.
What?
Such a precious item and why did Dal Rae have it?
Hyungnim. Hyungnim!
Please ask His Majesty for an audience.
Your Majesty, Sin Chi Soo says it's regarding the clown Gap Soo,
that he has something urgent to report to you.
Let him in.
I don't have a good feeling about this.
How about you just send him away?
No. It's about Gap Soo, so I must hear it.
Your Majesty, I came to report something urgent to you.
May you clear the room, please.
I heard the news.
Your son, Sin Yi Gyeom suffered an attack on the streets.
Was he badly hurt?
More so than his physical injury, the fact that the moral codes were broken,
isn't that the greater issue?
You said you had something urgent to report.
I have something to show Your Majesty so I brought it.
Please open it.
Do you remember what that is?
How do you have this?
Actually, the girl who was with the clown that attacked my son,
that girl named Dal Rae had it.
That dagger was a gift to you, by the Ming emperor.
I couldn't believe that lowly clown would have it,
so I came to show it to Your Majesty.
You always kept this with you.
That dagger. Is it right? Please verify it.
I remember this now.
I had it when I went out for the procession earlier.
It appears I dropped it then.
Your Majesty.
Are you certain?
I am. I am certain.
That dagger... is the one the late king presented to you when you became the Crown Prince during the last rebellion.
To entrust you with the court,
he gave it to you as a symbol.
You scum!
Reveal your identity.
That girl named Dal Rae.
She's in my hands right now.
Speak truthfully.
Who are you?
Alright.
I'm that two-nyang, the price of a dog back then!
The Crowned Clown
Subtitles brought to you by The On Fire Penguins Team @ Viki
Preview
In order to handle this position,
I know very well I need to overcome such pain as this.
How come you couldn't hold it in until the end?
But you said so to me as well.
That there are only two ways to survive in a place like this.
Kneel.
I will tell you how you can save your sister.
So you will hold out until the end?
Right this very moment, summon Chief Royal Secretary as a criminal.
I will put your sister as a witness.
There is only one method left for me now.
♫ I can understand everything ♫